


Botanical Gardens and Deathbeds

by heinoukola



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: AU, Kindof soulmate au but not really, M/M, florist!yuuri, maybe i'll add more idk, rip yuuri, saveyuuri2k17, will probably edit in the foreseeable future, yuuri is super anxious and i don't know why
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-07
Updated: 2017-01-07
Packaged: 2018-09-15 12:05:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9234326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heinoukola/pseuds/heinoukola
Summary: Can I help you?, his mind screams and begs him to say, but his mouth doesn't feel like cooperating with his brain anymore. "...Help," is the only word he manages to convey rather than what he was originally aiming for, and flinging himself into the sun seems like a really good idea right now.Or, the short story where Yuuri's family alternatively owns a flower shop with a small botanical garden instead of an onsen, set in a world of soulmates; and oh God, how romantic is it to meet your destined partner by sneezing into the bouquet he ordered and choking over every word that isn't a prayer begging for help from above?(yoyoyo i added some stuff to this and the ending changed, so if you wanna check that out yeee)





	

**Author's Note:**

> idk what i'm doing anymore but eh this is a very poorly written warm-up for a bigger story that i'm working on. thIS IS UNFINISHED I CAN'T SAY THAT ENOUGH. i mean, it has an ending, but i still need to do a lot of editing on this before I consider it done, so I'm just keeping it here.  
> edit: hOOOOLY SHIT I DIDN'T EXPECT SO MANY PEOPLE TO READ THIS THE DAY AFTER I POST IT, HHHH I'VE EDITED IT SLIGHTLY NOW  
> edit 2: can I just fucking say I wanna shoot myself I was doing a final edit and right when I was about to post it, i closed the tab?????? like, why god, why must you prevent viktuuri? i hate everything omg.  
> 

"Yuuri, hurry up and trim the flowers already. And quit slipping on the rose petals, please." Mari, Yuuri's older sister, halfheartedly mumbled while walking past him laying utterly defeated on the floor--at this point in their lives, she was too used to the situation to put emotion into her words.

She took a drag from her cigarette before puffing it out in a cloud of smoke, heading to the garden entrance in the back of the store.

Yuuri sighed and heaved himself up from the ground, rubbing his tailbone from the fall while simultaneously brushing off the imaginary dust on his apron. "Maybe you should stop smoking around the flowers," he retorts with a small lilt of aggravation. "You know it clogs the stomata and prevents healthy photosynthesis. Mom hates when you smoke inside and in the garden. Put it out before she sees it or go smoke across the street."

Mari turned up her nose but still smiled, dropping it on the floor and grinding it with her foot into a pile of cigarette remains. "Keep your inner botany nerd to yourself, thank you very much. And it's not _that_ bad for the flowers. If you need me, I'll be dealing with the winter flowers in the greenhouse. I swear it's witchcraft how long these things survive..." She vanished into the back, leaving Yuuri to clean up the piles of flowers that he dropped. A few were slightly bruised and others were crushed beneath him, and he practically whimpered in guilt when he littered them into the trashcan intended for stems and dead leaves. When you live as a florist, you easily lose your sense of dignity after falling at least 10 times a month.

 

Ever since Yuuri could remember, he had worked in the family flower store--the only one in Hasetsu, might he proudly add--maintaining all kinds of seasonal flowers for so long that he could name over 35 breeds from the top of his head in less than 3 minutes. He never expressed much interest in botany or floral subjects before, but after getting caught in the tidal wave of home-taught floral design, he was immediately dragged into the hell of getting stabbed by thorns and constantly finding splinters lodged in his dainty fingers. He still loved it regardless of all the band-aids it caused him to buy (saying _a lot_ was an understatement).

Since the age of 10, he had helped out in the shop with the minimalistic tasks of cleaning and organizing flowers into their respected place, later graced with the permission to actually make unique bouquets for specific orders, man the cash register on his own, and deal with new stocks of flowers from the small botanical garden out back. Sometimes, he was even in charge of orders from large trucks that tempted him to empty his wallet for all the pretty breeds they had.

This life would be considered great--being raised into a job with familiar surroundings, sometimes recognizing frequent customers who liked striking up conversations with Yuuri despite his social ineptness--albeit the fact that Yuuri could barely speak to strangers without getting a slight (ginormous) pang of anxiety, constantly worrying that he'll overcharge flowers 10 times their actual price (which is what he had accidentally done when he had lost his glasses and had no idea how to delete numbers on the cash register with his shaking fingers, apologizing profusely to a very forgiving customer) or stammer over every word and seem outright stupid. It was a terrifying experience at first, yet he had gotten use to feeling a bit shaken up and found ways to work around his anxiety.

Being socially awkward was quite the curse, especially if you coincidentally had the world's biggest glass heart just like Katsuki Yuuri's--the heart that hates messing things up and always criticized the things he had done wrong.

 

As he sweeped away the remaining debris left behind from the roses with an old wooden broom, the wind chime above the door suddenly rang, signalling a person entering the store. Yuuri stood up straight, "Welcome to the Katsuki's flower shop and garden, how can I help yo-" His voice slowly drawled into a hush as he turned to greet the shopper, only to find himself struck with awe.

The customer was drop-dead gorgeous, with an almost-bordering-angelic shade of silver hair and unbelievably pretty ocean-like eyes, tall and physically appealing and  _oh no,_ Yuuri was staring. But the peculiar thing was that they were staring at him as well as if he were lost in thought. Yuuri stuttered and flushed in embarrassment, hiding his face with a bow.

"H-How, uhh, how-..." his train of thought seems to have exploded in the station and he screamed internally, deciding it would be best for both of them if he stopped talking. The other, however, shot a curious look and a small, almost pitiful smile his way.

It's like the world got ten times brighter.

"Good morning," they say with an incredulously cute accent, and Yuuri can feel his soul leaving his body, flooding with a river of unbearable heat. Yuuri cleared his throat, attempting to say the sentence that he was practically born and raised to repeat daily.

 _Can I help you?_ , his mind screams and begs him to say, but his mouth doesn't feel like cooperating with his brain anymore. "... _Help_ ," is the only word he manages to convey rather than what he was originally aiming for, and flinging himself into the sun seems like a really good idea right now. He wheezes into one of his hands and tightens his vice grip on the broom with the other, debating whether or not if he should dive into the flowers and just disappear.

The man blinks, unfazed. For a few seconds, they awkwardly stared at each other once again (Yuuri desperately forced himself to look anywhere but at the stranger's eyes, anywhere but the eyes, _no, Yuuri, above the waist_ ), both frozen in small wonder, but the former started to slightly smirk as if he was trying to suppress a laugh. There's a small tint of red on his cheeks, and to Yuuri's horror, his face starts to burn up like a candle. "I was having a crappy day, so I wanted to check out some flowers," the man says, answering Yuuri's broken question. "But... on second thought, I'm looking for flowers to give to someone."

For some reason, Yuuri's heart slightly cracked at that statement. For a lover, Yuuri thinks, and he's unsure as to why he feels suddenly envious, like he was angry at the man for being so damn attractive but unsurprisingly taken. He has no reason to be filled with animosity, considering the fact that he couldn't even form a full sentence to greet him.

"O-oh," he replied, standing up a tiny bit straighter than before as if his posture was the only thing he couldn't lose and he forced an arduous smile that he usually flashed whenever he was unwillingly introduced to new people. "R-right, of course! Is there, uhm, any specific k-kind you're looking for? C-C-Certain bouquet ar-r-rangements?" He mentally high-fives himself for almost completing a proper work-related question, but the inner Yuuri is still seething at his stupidity and the other's compelling qualities.

The man shook his head, finally taking a full look-around glance around the small but flourishing store. "Not really, actually. What would you recommend?"

 _Oh no no no, he's asking another question, what do I say? What flowers would he like? Oh God, calm down; breathe, breathe, breathe._ "O-oh," he repeats, almost as if it were the only word he could say, "are th-they... uhm, are they for a _r-r-ro-romantic_ "--he has to nearly spit that word out--"partner, or..." His voice gives up on him (and he doesn't blame it) before he could reiterate more ideas.

The man slightly nods as if contemplating if he actually knew what he was here for. "Let's just say romantic," says the drop-dead gorgeous man with an almost-bordering-angelic shade of silver hair and unbelievably pretty ocean-like eyes--no, the  _taken_ drop-dead gorgeous man with an almost-bordering-angelic shade of silver hair and unbelievably pretty ocean-like eyes.  _No, Yuuri. Don't think like that. You don't even know his name, so don't even bother. Stop it._ Yuuri's smile twitches and his cheeks start to ache.

The unknowingly jealous side of him debates whether or not if he should suggest a bouquet of gypsophilas, the flowers that smell like cat piss when there's one too many in the bouquet, perhaps orange lilies that's meaning suggests absolute brimming hatred, but the logical and timid side of him decides against it from his heart being too soft for such an act.

"Uhm... If it's for s-someone you're con-confessing to... Maybe you should go for a small bouquet of gardenias. Those... mean secret love, or, uh 'You're Lovely'. If it's for a more recent romantic partner, like... a first date or something, maybe a mixture of calla lilies and some small buds? Those can sometimes relate to beauty when accented with other flowers... like, perhaps very light purple lilacs--those mean 'first emotions of love'. But if it's for a long-time lover, as an anniversary, Syrian mallows are much bolder, and they mean 'consumed by love', yet I recommend for long-relationship floral gifts to be a bought as a traditionally potted plant. Bouquets don't last very long, so those are better for first dates and stuff." His very non-concise explanation glided by, barely any stutters without him realizing it. It was like he was having a formal colloquy!

However, the man stood there, looking utterly lost and confused, which was ever so adorable ( _Stop it, Yuuri_ ). "I..." he starts, but he looked down and placed a finger on his chin like an indecisive kid at a candy shop. "Could you run that by me again?"

Yuuri blushes. "A-ah, I-I didn't m-mean to go off on a long-winded exegesis...I tend to zone out when talking for a bit, I'm very sorry!" Yuuri says in a panicked rush, bowing in apology, dropping the broom onto the floor with a clatter. He flinched at the noise of wood hitting the tiled ground.

"N-No! Uh, It's fine, I don't even know what exegesis means, but you didn't do anything wrong. It was my fault for not paying attention. I did catch on to the 'You're Lovely' part though, but what flowers were those?"

Yuuri practically jumps out of his skin, interpreting 'You're Lovely' in the wrong way, thinking it was directed towards him. "Wh-wh-wh-what?" If his face wasn't beet-red already, he would have transformed into a tomato.

The man slightly glances to the right, hopelessly confused. "... The flowers that mean 'You're Lovely'...? What were they called?"

Yuuri ascended to a new feeling of stupid. His forehead started to perspire ever so slightly.

" _Of course_!" he abruptly shouts in humiliation, making the man jump, and his entire body stiffens like a stump. " _Oh!_ _Gardenias, yes! The gardenias! I'll grab them for you!_ "

 

Yuuri did a fast-paced 'shuffle of shame' to the holder of gardenias in the aisle adjacent to the really, really pretty man, and it feels like his heart is going to explode from all of this unnecessary tension that he's putting on himself.

 

When he feels like his small show of worry and stress has slightly eased and his sheepishness slowly waned, he dares to peek up after grabbing the seventh flower, looking over the sea of colors, and by accidental fate, catches a glimpse of the stranger's light blue eyes looking at his.

The afternoon sunlight bleached the maw of the store in soft oranges and gentle pinks, the flowers illuminated by the gentle pastel glow of organic light.

A huge wave of an unknown emotion courses through him from head to toe and his hands loosen around the bundle of flowers, dropping them back in place. His chest tightens and constricts as if a string was pulling at his heart in the best way possible.

They stand like that for a few seconds, almost like they were reenacting the event of them first meeting, but this time Yuuri was making eye contact and absorbing every shade of blue that he could see. It's almost been a full minute, and Yuuri opens his mouth like he's about to say something but quickly shuts it. He notices the other's ears slightly tinting pink.

"...Oh, um, also... Viktor," the stranger slowly says as if he was afraid of breaking the silence. "My name is Viktor Nikiforov."

Yuuri doesn't really know why Viktor had suddenly decided to introduce himself, but it almost felt like the most right and natural thing in the world to hear that name. A strange yet secure feeling of tranquility overwhelmed his previous mess of emotions. "Yuuri... Katsuki..." he mumbles back, a huge contrast from his previous tone. He smiles, and this time, it's much more genuine than his first. Viktor smiles back, and maybe Yuuri won't fling himself into the sun after seeing that awfully cute smile. He slightly lowers his hands and relaxes, but quickly tenses when his fingers brush over the petals of the gardenias. "Oh, um, right... Flowers." Yuuri softly says, hiding his disappointment too well for his own liking.

Viktor clears his throat with a gentle cough. "I know this may sound a bit weird, but... What are your favorite flowers here? Like, if you were to get flowers, what would you want?"

Yuuri looks down, thinking, plucking more flowers from their holder. "I, uhm... I like all of the flowers, really. I f-find them all nice, even if some of the fragrances are kinda iffy... Usually people come in with certain flowers or bouquets in mind, and we have a list of the most popular or exotic flowers, if you'd like." he responds, surprised that his stuttering became much more controlled and tame.

"I see," Viktor says, staring down at the flowers next to him. "But still, if you had to pick one, what would it be?"

"Phloxes, I guess... They're really simplistic and pretty, especially the pink-white ones, but most of the time they are just grown in gardens rather than gifted. They're more common for wildlife food and are rarely gifting flowers, but they represent 'united souls' and 'unanimity'. It's good for short periods of time unless planted, so they're good for... first dates and such." Yuuri wanted to applaud himself for being able to talk to Viktor without hyperventilating.

Viktor nodded. "Then some of those, please."

Yuuri, slightly hurt for no logical reason other than jealousy, nodded back. _His favorite flowers, being gifted to someone unknown_. "I-is that all? Or w-would you like to keep looking?" His voice grew a bit distant to his own surprise, angry at himself for not building up the courage to look away from the floor when he asked. He went to the corner of the store and started pulling out single bundles of phloxes.

"Continue looking," the other says. Yuuri looked away, shifting his gaze back to the tiles on the ground.

"O-o-of course," Yuuri calmly says, but his high-pitched anxious and disappointed tone gets the best of him and returns to his dismay. "I-I can give you time to look around. P-please feel free to ask me for the meanings of any flowers that meet your eye. I-I'll start working on these." He saunters back to the counter, yelping when he slightly stumbled over the abandoned broom, feeling like an idiot for stuttering once again. He was never going to make any progress socially no matter how much effort he put, and dejectedly slumped into his seat.

 

Viktor blinks, silently observing the other's diligent work as he began bundling separate bouquets with pretty ribbons. That did not at _all_ go the way he wanted it to. Why was Yuuri suddenly so quiet? Did he say something wrong? "Then... What do these mean?" he finally brings himself to ask, pointing to the light pink flowers directly next to him, scanning the name tab below it.

Yuuri spares a shy glance. "Spider flowers," he states from memory, "I believe th-they mean... Oh. Eloping." Viktor notices Yuuri's cheeks slightly reddening at the mention of it like it was his secret dream to sneak away and get secretly married, and he tries his best not to smile at the thought.

"Ah. Not quite yet," Viktor comments. Yuuri turns away without saying anything and looks through an assortment of thin silk ribbons. Viktor wanders into the next aisle, reading out the name of a flower that caught his eye.

"Dog rose," he mutters.

Yuuri hums in response. " _Rosa caninas_ , dog rose. They, uh... Th-they represent pain and pleasure." he explains, sounding a bit embarrassed.

"They don't look like roses." Viktor points out.

"They're wild roses. The darker ones look much more like traditional roses, but the paler ones tend to look a bit more flat and round. The dark ones are more suitable for bouquets and the flatter ones look better in small pots."

Viktor reads out the one next to it. "Red poppies."

"Pleasure," Yuuri hesitantly says, the quiet snips of scissors slowing to a stop. Viktor decides to keep going down the line, seemingly catching on to Yuuri's shyness towards the certain subject of romantic flowers.

"Globe amaranth," he slows down the last word to pronounce it correctly, the outcome feeling foreign to his tongue.

"...Unfading love."

"You sure do have a lot of sensual and romantic flowers here considering the season." Viktor mentions.

Yuuri looks up from the desk, still moving his hands skillfully. "It's because we grow a certain amount of flowers due to popular demand, which are usually flowers for significant others, so the botanical garden has quite a few non-romantic flowers that we grow in the greenhouse to preserve them for as long as possible, letting us cut and sell it in a slightly different season if we keep the store cold enough."

Viktor tilts his head. "Confusing."  
Yuuri simply shrugs. "Floral science."

Viktor decides that he's teased Yuuri enough and chooses. "Gardenias," he simply says, and Yuuri looks a bit bothered.

"I thought I told you that one already," he questions, looking back down. "I've decided on that one," Viktor clarifies.

"...O-oh. Gift, right? Bouquet or vase? There's cards at the over here on the front desk where you can write a message to who it's for." Yuuri pads up to the gardenias and pulls out 12 from the holder. Viktor was about to say 'vase' until he was cut off by a sudden sneeze with no warning that reminded him of his dog back at home, and they both freeze in unison.

 _Oh Jesus Christ on a fucking unicycle_ _,_ Yuuri desperately thinks,  _please assure me that I did not sneeze into the flowers. Please tell me that did not happen. I did not sneeze into the flowers. I didn't not sneeze into the flowers that Viktor was going to buy. That did not happen. That did not happen. That did not hap-  
_ "Bless you," Viktor finally says, and Yuuri's expression went from shocked to horrified. _Yes, yes, today is a good day to die, a very good day to die, a very good wonderful bountiful day to die_.

"I-... Pollen." Yuuri nearly whimpers pathetically, officially ready to actually commit to vanishing off the face of the earth. "I-I-I'm sorry, I'll make you another boque-"

"Those're for you, anyways, so I'm not bothered."

"...What?"

"They're for you."

Yuuri chokes on air, new reds blossoming among his face and neck for what felt like the thousandth time today, and wow, he can't catch a break, can he?

Viktor merely asks for the price, seemingly unconcerned.

"W-w-w-wait, but,  _why_?" Yuuri insists, his hands tightening around the small bundle of flowers in his hand. "Explain!"

"Because... I think you're lovely? That's what the flowers mean, don't they?" he says. "I can't help but think they'd suit you, especially after you sneezed on them."

Yuuri stammers, decidedly ignoring the last part. "B-B-B-But, y-you-?! I th-thought you were buying flowers for a romantic partner!" he cried. Viktor tilted his head like a puppy, a  _goddamn adorable puppy_ , innocently smiling.

"They're for a romantic _interest_ , which is you. Truthfully, my day wasn't going so well, so it was quite refreshing to see a cute face. Then I thought to myself, why not make good first impression and give you _two_ bouquets. Except they're kinda both romantic ones. I thought it would be quiet obvious..."

"No!?"

"...Is that a no to me buying you flowers or a no to it being obvious...?" He looked a bit hurt, and Yuuri panicked.

"N-N-No! I mean, yes? It _wasn't_ obvious, b-but..." He cursed at his inconsistent phrasing.

"If you don't want the flowers, you can go on a date with me instead. Or both." Viktor offers a smile. "...Or neither, if that's what you want. That's an option." he adds, the smile looking more sad than understanding.

"W-wait,  _date?_ With m-me? _Why?!_ " It almost sounded incredulous.

Viktor shrugged in response. "I already said why, though...?" he looks a bit confused once again, and Yuuri wants to  ~~kiss~~ slap the cute expression away. "It's like a _thank you for being cute, let me show my appreciation_. So, gardenias, 'You're Lovely'. It's close to what I first thought when I saw you."

Yuuri can't bring himself to say anything, worrying that he'll end up dying from a heart attack. He was about to scream  _hell fucking yeah, date_ and _flowers please, I can't believe you're real, are you sure you're not an angel?_ before Mari returned from the botanical garden, slamming the door open with a boisterous; "Yuuri, get these flowers, ple-"

Mari scanned over her brother's flushed face and the cluster of flowers in his hand, then looked over to Viktor with an analytical expression.

"-ase...?" she finished, letting the door close with a clatter behind her. Yuuri blinked and felt like crying because damn, if this couldn't get any worse, he had set a record for the 'how many times can I contemplate death' award. Mari let the silence sink in, a confused Viktor staring right back at her like a showdown.

"...Ooooh, I see. What's happening here, Yuuri? Is this a friend of yours?" Mari asked, ready to take the running-up award for assisting in Yuuri's death.  _The world must hate me_.

"Are you Yuuri's co-worker?" Viktor asks. He smiles politely, and Yuuri tries his best to bite down a scream.

"Even better," she slowly says, like it's the greatest thing on this very planet that needed to be presented with time and respect, as the world may never hear it again. "I'm his older sister." Mari winks at Yuuri and he only glares back, his face still slightly red and his dignity gone. "Which means... let's hear why my _little brother_ looks so flustered, hm?"

Viktor was more than happy to oblige, and Yuuri was slowly sinking to the floor. "I'm buying him flowers and asking him on a date, which I didn't get a response to." He then looked down at Yuuri who was squatting low to the floor, and Yuuri looked up at him. Viktor was looking at him hopefully. Yuuri dropped his head and opened his mouth to respond.

" _Of course he'll go on a date with you._ " Mari answers for him, and all that comes out of Yuuri's mouth is a squeak and a silent prayer to an unknown god, quietly and desperately. "Flowers for a florist, huh? Good choice, too. What're those, uhh..." She snaps her fingers as if they'll pop the answer into her head. "Oh, of course, Chinese magnolias." Mari points a finger gun at the flowers still clutched in Yuuri's hand.

"Not even close..." Yuuri mumbles, "they're gardenias..."

When Yuuri looked up again, Viktor was practically beaming at him. "Date?" he persists again, and Yuuri finds himself blushing like a schoolgirl all over again. "I-... Okay. Y-Yes." he finally manages to heave, his heart pounding loudly in his ears.  
He shifts his gaze, but he's already being pulled up from the floor by his sister who had left the armful of flowers abandoned on the counter top, proudly yet roughly patting his back while she chortled. "Knew it."

"Wait, really?" Viktor looked starstruck, but his smile quickly dropped. "But I'm still giving you the flowers, so you're getting both."

 

And Yuuri gratefully let him after his failed protests, showing his appreciation the next day when they met up in the botanical garden, talking about more meanings of flowers, and more importantly, talking about each other. He had learned several things he couldn't have guessed; that Viktor had a poodle named Makkachin, for example, and that he was visiting from Russia to compete in an ice skating competition. And Viktor managed to learn that Yuuri had surprisingly never dated someone for more than a month before because his lack of confidence, and on an unrelated note, he had nearly checked out every botany book from the public library. They continued the cycle of meeting up at the garden, sharing conversation while surrounded by fragrant and flourishing flowers until it was a normal routine. Then there was a day that Yuuri woke up in a warm bed that didn't belong to him, a large dog that strangely resembled his childhood pet nuzzling between him and Viktor.

 

* * *

 

Three years later, as Yuuri was tending to the gloxinias in the garden, a set of arms wrapped around his abdomen. Shocked from the sudden warmth, Yuuri jolts and knocks the watering can over while flinging dirt into the air. "Viktor, you've  _got_ to be kidding me. This is the second time this week! What did you do this time? Did you ruin the spring carolines again? 'Cause if you did, I'm not paying for them again."

Viktor nuzzles his face into the crook of Yuuri's neck. "What makes you think I did something wrong?"  _Oh God, he's pulling the cuddling technique, he must have set the store on fire._

"You must have done something wrong if you end up harassing me in the garden. Or at least, that's my theory."

"Fair enough. I closed up the store, so I thought I'd spend time with you." Viktor pulls out a clump of dirt from Yuuri's hair before brushing out the specks in his. He kisses Yuuri on the cheek and Yuuri pretends to gag. They both smile.

" _Sap_. Hey, you better start helping me with the flowers or else you're gonna be sleeping on the couch with Makkachin for nearly killing me again."  
"Woah, who said I almost killed you? I mean, I don't mind sleeping with Makkachin, but that's a pretty bold claim to make." Despite his argument, he stands next to Yuuri and starts tugging at overgrown weeds.  
"Me. You know, the person who almost died because of you? So yeah, you almost killed me."  
"At least you would have died doing what you loved. But then I would have died as well. From heartbreak."

After a few moments of silence, Yuuri cranes his neck to look at Viktor. "Viktor, are you... happy here? Do you like living in Hasetsu? Working in the shop?" His hands stop arranging the flowers.

Viktor, slightly taken aback by the sudden change of mood, laughs. "Of course I'm happy here. I love being here with you. Are you not happy? Are you having seconds thoughts?"  
"No, no! I'm not having seconds thoughts. I grew up here; I love this place. It's just, I dunno, doesn't this place feel kinda sleepy?"

"Sleepy?"

"Nothing new ever happens here... It's like a cycle. Usually I like the quiet places. But now it feels more like... I'm waiting for something."

Viktor nods. "Ah, you're waiting for change, hm?"

Yuuri shrugs, returning to the flowers. Viktor follows his lead.

"Maybe we should move to Russia? Perhaps Saint Petersberg. It's a nice place. That's a big change."

"Russia? What about the shop? I'm the manager now and you work here as well, we can't just... leave it behind, can we?"

Viktor hums. "Mhm, that's true. Besides, it's amazing what someone can get away with when they're dating the boss."

"Manager," Yuuri corrects, "but yes, I do let too many things slip. You're lucky I love you."  
"Very lucky," Viktor parrots.

The sun slides over the town like cooling wax, the light a mix of afternoon sun and the brink-of-midnight-moon. A few stars glistened and decorated the sky like specks of sugar. Viktor looks up through the glass roofing, a smile gracing his face.

"We should get married."

Yuuri chokes. " _Married_?"

"Yeah, married. We already live together, we run a little store in a little town, we have a baby--Makkachin,--so maybe marriage is the change we need. I love you with everything I have, Yuuri, and I can see myself spending the rest of my days with you. I hope you can see that, too." Viktor looks over to his partner and relaxes when he sees the gentle smile resting on his face.  
"That is, of course, if marriage isn't your cup of tea, we don't have to." His voice grows distant.

" _Of course I want to marry you!_ " Yuuri practically shouts, and Viktor jumps with a start.

Viktor blinks, at a loss for words. "Really? I mean, I don't have an engagement ring with me right now, ah--fuck, I should have planned this through..." He looks down, pondering in thought, and beams when an idea comes to mind. He plucks a gloxinia (against Yuuri's previous protests about not pulling flowers) and starts wrapping the stem into a circle, tying and knotting it together. " _Love at first sight_ ," he thinks aloud, whispering the meaning of the flower. He's always liked gloxinias.

When he stops his handiwork, a flower ring is sitting in his palm. He takes Yuuri's hand and slips it onto his ring finger. Even the tips of Yuuri's fingers were red underneath the patches of dirt that coated his palms and cuticles. Viktor smiles in adoration.

"It's more of a promise ring, if anything. Yet this... is almost like a proposal."

"It feels like a proposal," Yuuri agrees, and to Viktor's surprise, it looks like he's about to cry.

Viktor can't help but laugh. "It is a proposal."

Yuuri looks down at the ring. The gloxinia was red, frilled with white on the edges. A few tears well up in his eyes. "Then my answer is  _Hell yeah_."

Viktor snorts.

 

"Does this mean I'm still sleeping on the couch?"

 

"I think I can make an exception this one time."

 

_fin._

**Author's Note:**

> um i have no excuse i just love flowers and botany and kinda did this but this is probably a very lazily-written fic and i'll fix it eventually.
> 
> edit 3: does anybody want a part 2 to this or just another viktuuri floral fic? bc now i wanna write about viktor being a florist and i might make this into a series????? let me know if you think i should and hopefully it won't be as shitty as this one if I actually decide to do it.


End file.
